Does Laundry Count?

 Thursday.  This is a bit depressing.  I have nothing to show for the day.  My back is still tender, so I didn't even go for a walk with SK.  I did a couple loads of laundry.  I wished a couple of people Happy Birthday on Facebook.  I communicated with the young missionaries about some new members.  I attended ward council with SK (zoom).  

Ward council made me realize there are a lot of people out there suffering, right in this little ward.  I determined that SK and I will go visit two of the oldest members.  We'll take a little goody - put it at the door and call them to say there is something at their front door.  We'll stand well back and visit for a few minutes 12 feet apart.  Just to let them know we care. Maybe I'll even skip the goody....thereby putting them at no risk whatsoever.  We'll just visit from a distance.

I've been surprised about how many people - when you stand a few feet apart - will stand and visit and talk like water flowing from a fountain.  They are starved to have someone listen....starved for someone to interact with....starved to connect with others.  For married people, not so much.

I visited with my sister for an hour in the evening.  She came very near death a few months ago with sepsis, but is finally getting back to a semblance of normalcy.  She has been told by doctors that if she hadn't gotten help when she did, she would have been dead within a week.  That is sobering.  I'm so happy she is doing so well.

SK went for a walk this afternoon.  He was gone for about an hour.  He came home with a shopping bag from a department store in downtown Oxford (It happens to be going out of business - which is sad).  He announced that he had purchased a Christmas present for me, and that if I could guess what it was, I could have it now.  He was too excited to wait until Christmas!

As a rule, we quit giving each other presents a long time ago, so this was a surprise.  I guessed and guessed and couldn't begin to come close to what it was.  Finally, he couldn't contain himself.  He magnanimously announced that I could open it now.  He really was happy about it.  It was fun just to watch him....let alone fun to open the gift.

It was a small bottle of Shalimar Cologne!  I wore it for years because he loves it so much.  About 20 years ago, I quit entirely, because both the museum and the temple asked us not to (there are so many people who are allergic to scents).  Especially now, especially here, I can safely wear this.  I will go very lightly with it, and not put it on if we are going to be around others (who am I kidding?  We'll be very blessed if we are able to have young adults here the week of Christmas).

In the meantime, I have got to find meaningful ways to serve, within the restrictions placed by the government.  

Did you hear that England is the first place to give vaccinations?  They started with health-care workers and will move down through the population in the coming months starting with those most at risk.  

I am not sure where we will fall in that list, but I am so hoping that we will be able to serve the way we had hoped to be serving in the near future.

P.S..  still no news on the visa.